Daily Devotional
Are You Relying on Emotions?
“But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
Acts 1:8
November 15, 2024
Ponder This
Jesus told the disciples to wait until they were given power from on high. We don’t need to wait. The Holy Spirit has already come. He has come. What we need to do now is to receive the promise.
Now let me tell you something. If you are a Christian, if you are truly saved; then you’ve already received that promise. You say, “Well, I don’t feel it.” I want to tell you something: If you repented of your sins, you did receive the Holy Spirit of God.
God’s Spirit bears witness with our spirit that we’re the children of God. What is this witness? How do I know I have the Holy Spirit of God?
I don’t know that I have the Holy Spirit of God because of some emotional feeling. Emotions come and go. Our emotions are the shallowest part of our nature, but salvation is the deepest work of God. God doesn’t do the deepest work in the shallowest part. The Holy Spirit is the One who communicates the things of God. Your human spirit is the instrument of spiritual knowledge. And the Holy Spirit of God speaks to your human spirit that you belong to God. It is not an emotional feeling; it is an awareness.
When you get saved, the Holy Spirit of God comes into you. How else could you live like Christ apart from the Holy Spirit? It is impossible on your own strength. How is Christ in you? Through the Holy Spirit!
- When have you tried to live out your faith on your own? What happened?
- What does it look like to walk with the Spirit?
Practice This
Talk to a mentor in the faith about how he or she has grown in his or her awareness of the Holy Spirit.
FOR YOUR GIFT TO THE MINISTRY
Front Porch Moments by Gayle Foster
WITH KEY INSIGHTS FROM HER FATHER, ADRIAN ROGERS
I try to unplug each morning with Jesus with just my rocking chair, my Bible, and a pen.
Having a secret place is very important because I know that Jesus is always there waiting for me. I know where I can find Him! His presence is everywhere, but there are places where it is so thick you can cut it with a knife. You may not even have a front porch, but there is a secret place for you as well. God’s invitations are for anyone who will respond. There is no more important request than the one found in Psalm 27:8: “My heart has heard You say, ‘Come and talk with Me.’ And my heart responds, ‘Lord, I am coming.’”
